Fresno's murder rate up nearly 30 percent over the same time last year

FRESNO, Calif, (KFSN) -- A series of murders over the past week has kept Fresno police detectives busy. So far this year, homicides are up nearly 30 percent over the same time last year.

Murders are up, especially those caused by shootings. One family ABC30 talked with witnessed one of the 28 murders in their front yard on Independence Day.

Witnesses say Raymond Fisher was sitting on his father in law's porch Friday morning near Teilman and Pontiac. He was waiting for his kids to come over to barbecue for the Fourth of July when he was shot to death.

"My wife and I were in the bedroom watching a television program when we heard a shot. Pow. We come outside. Vance Sams was standing here in my front year and he said it was a firecracker."

Sams was arrested for the murder Sunday. Sams is dating the mother of Fisher's three children. Police say domestic problems led to the murder. Cardell Young says he did everything he could to try to save Fisher's life.

Young explained, "I rolled him over and I saw the blood on his chest and I immediately started to do CPR on him and Vance was standing right next to me and I asked him Vance, what did you do? What did you do? And he looked down and he saw Raymond and he just walked casually down the street like it was nothing."

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says the wide availability of guns makes it an easy grab for some.

Chief Dyer added, "When two people end up being involved in a dispute, if there isn't a gun or a knife immediately accessible, often times, that just ends up in a physical fight."

Fisher's murder was the beginning of a deadly weekend in Fresno. On Saturday night, 31-year-old Jose Lopez and 39-year-old Bulmaro Ramirez were gunned down in Southeast Fresno at a house near Seventh Street and Mono Avenue. No suspects have been arrested.

This year, the gun remains the preferred weapon for murder. 24 of the 28 murders began as shootings. Two others were caused by stabbings and two others were by some other form of physical force.

Chief Dyer said, "What we cannot control is whether or not sometimes a person dies as a result of a gunshot wound, because that largely is up to the person pulling the trigger and many cases of what we've seen this year, they are very accurate and people are dying more often."

Fresno police say the youngest victims this year were 3 years old and 16 years old.

Police say 20 of the murders involve gang members or associates.